Manufactured Home Decor

Decorating your home sweet modular home

You've probably seen a mobile home park or two that have given you a bad idea of what modular home living is all about. You know, the dumpy lots that live up to the "trailer trash" stereotype.

Modular homes are not mobile homes and can look just like any site built home. After the construction equipment leaves and your house modules have been assembled a little lawn care and home decor can transform your modular home into a home sweet home. Actually, I'm amazed at many of the modular homes in my community. They have sunrooms, large sweeping porches, vast gardens and garden decorations. Honestly, at first glance you would never know these were modular homes. One modular home owner that I know, has a full basement for her modular home. Now she has a finished basement!

The following modular home decorating tips can transform the prejudice against manufactured homes into the envy of the neighborhood. Please keep in mind that if you are located in a modular home community that some building codes do apply to the erection of porches and sunrooms.

The lots in modular home communities are often smaller than normal lots, with your neighbors located close by. The tight fit can cause many landscaping challenges; however even in small spaces, you can make big decor improvements that will help define your home from the rest, such as:

If your lot is small, keep in mind that you will overwhelm a small space with too many lawn ornaments and flowers. Small spaces are most tastefully decorated with small plants, shrubs and flowers.

If you have a deck, make use of this space as an extra room inside your home. During the mild months decorate your deck with plants, wicker patio furniture, a brass fire pit, a barbecue, and some flowing silk blinds for privacy. You can also stain your deck each year with a warm color to provide a welcoming setting for guests.

Construct a walk way up to your front door using cobblestones or patio stones, and line the walkway with torches, outside lighting or even small trees or shrubs. You can also add some color by planting colorful perennials up the walkway.

If you have a deck, add some fancy hand railings or paint existing ones to spruce up the look of your deck.

Beautify the foundation of your home by erecting a fence or flowers around the exterior of your modular home. Today decorative skirting is also available in faux brickwork, cobblestone, faux slate rock and faux wood finish in numerous colors.

You can also hide the permanent utility connections by planting tall rose bushes or shrubs to cover it up. Vines will also grow around and wrap nicely to conceal it.

Don't forget to treat your window. Colorful shutters or window boxes with plants and flowers can add homey color to your modular home. Choose perennials that re-sprout each year for less work.

Show your national pride by erecting a flagpole. This can also work well as a marker. My parents have a flagpole and they use a large and colorful flag to direct guests to their lot. They just tell them to look for the flag! They also use the flagpole to reflect the season - for Halloween they use a pumpkin flag, for spring they erect a tulip flag, and for Christmas they erect a snowman flag.

Fencing can be erected around your lot for privacy (if your community allows for it. Most modular home communities are pet-friendly and will allow the owner to put up privacy/pet fencing. Plant flowers along the outside of the fence to add color.

Every home needs a mailbox - modular homes included! You can have some fun with a kitschy mailbox for your home - one that reflects you. Decorative mailboxes are available in every niche online - race car, team colors, birdhouses, fire trucks, baskets and basically every style you can think of. When you erect a mailbox make sure to hide the base using some flowers or shrubbery for color.